Apparatus for marking photographic films or plates.



0. CHOUINARD.

APPARATUS FOR MARKING PHOTOGRAPHIG FILMS OR PLATES.

AIPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 5, 1908.

1,084,592. Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR CHOUINABD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

P JOHN W. BERWICK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR MARKING PHOTOGRAPHIC FILMS OR PLATES.

To all whom it may concern Be it known thatI, OSCAR CHOUINARD, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Marking Photographic Films or Plates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the art of photography and has for its object an apparatus for placing a distinguishing mark, for example, a'serial number, upon photographic films or plates.

It is customary,to take one example illustrating the utility and purpose of my invention-for photographers who doany considerable business in developing negatives taken by others and making prints therefrom, to place the roll of films, for example, received from a customer in an envelop which is numbered or upon which a number is placed at the time. The envelops at the end of the day are taken to the dark room and there numbers corresponding to the numbers on the envelops are placed upon the. rolls of films or plates or sometimes upon each film of a roll of films. This marking of the films or plates consumes a good deal of time and there is a constant source of error and confusion in the fact that the marking has to be done in the dim, red light of the dark room and also in the liability of the marks when scratched or penciled upon the film or plate to become obliterated or partially obliterated.

My invention has for one of its objects to provide an apparatus by means of which a distinguishing mark, which shall be clear and legible, may be placed upon the film or plate quickly and conveniently and with absolute accuracy. I

The invention consists broadly in using what I shall term a light stencil, which may consist of a part of the envelop into which the film or plate is first placed when received, to print the mark upon the film or plate while in a sensitized condition before developing.

One form of apparatus for carrying out my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view of such apparatus. Fig. 2 is a'vertical, sectional view through the same; and Fig. 3 is a partial Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

Application filed September 5, 1908. Serial No. 451,853.

view of an envelop. a portion of the lap of which constitutes the light stencil through which the film or plate is exposed to the light.

4 represents a box, in the top of which is an aperture 5, preferably covered by a plate of glass 6. Within the box is an incandescent electric lamp 7, which is supplied with current by wires, shown as insulated and twisted together in a cord 8, which has the plug 9 adapted to screw into the ordinary wall or fixture socket. Current for the lamp might, of course, be supplied from a battery or other source of current.

Above the plate 6 is a cover 10, which is shown as attached to the springs 11, so as to stand normally above the top of the box. On the cover is a push button 12, or other cont-rolling device for the lamp, which is connected with the lamp by conductors 13 and 14, springs 11 and conductors 15 and 16. Depressing button 12 will light the lamp 7. The particular sort of controlling device for the lamp and the connections between it and the lamp form, in themselves, no part of my invention and might be varied to any extent.

I I prefer to provide a clip or other holding means for the top of the box for holding the stencil in position over plate 6. I have shown an ordinary paper clip 17 which is pressed into contact with the plate by spring 18.

' The operation of the device is illustrated particularly in Figs. 2 and 3. The envelop 19, in which the film or plate has been placed when first received, is made of non-actinic paper and the lap of the same is perforated, as shown at 20. I have shown the perforations as constituting a number. Any other distinguishable character or configuration might be adopted. Preferably, however, the envelops used in this Way will be given consecut-ive numbers and will be supplied to the person receiving the films or plates, thus perforated. When an envelop is taken to the dark room, the film or plate is removed from it and the envelop placed on top of the box with the perforated number over the glass plate 6. The film or plate, indicated by 21, is placed upon the envelop, the cover 10 is closed down upon it and the stencil, and button 12 pushed down. By making springs 11 lighter than the push button spring, a single movement will first bring down the cover,

so as to prevent the escape of light through the plate, and will light the lamp. The light from the lamp shining through the perforations 20 will imprint the given number upon the film or plate. \Vhen the finger i taken'from the push button, current is shut off from the lamp and the cover moves back to its normal position. \Vhere each film of a roll of films is to be numbered, the o erationmay be repeated without moving the envelop, which is held in position by the clip. The part of the plate or film havin the numberon it is, of course, developed with the rest and the number is, therefore,

visible on the plate or film and is also printed on any prints made therefrom.

The above illustrates one use of my invention. The apparatus may also be employed for numbering or otherwise marking a series of negatives taken by the photographer in order that each one may afterward be identified as belonging to the series; for

example, in the taking of a series of portraits of the same sitter. In such case the stencil may be formed by serially numbering the' memorandum cards which photographers ordinarily use in such cases.

I do not wish to be limited to the exact devices, constructions and arrangements shown and described, as modifications might be devised which would still come within the scope of my invention. I prefer to use an incandescent lamp for supplying the light necessary to print the mark on the film or plate, because such a light is most easily controlled. A light produced in any other manner might be employed. I have termed the device through which portions of the film or plate are exposed to the light a light stencil in analogy to the ordinary stencil used in marking. I intend by the use of that word in the claims any such device which allows light to reach the film or plate at certain points or along certain lines, while shutting off the light from it at other points. It is immaterial Whether the device is permeable to the actinic rays because of the perforations or for other reasons.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for placing a distinguishing mark on photographic films or plates, the combination with a chamber a portion of the wall of which is permeable to light,

of a cover for said portion, an electric lampwithin said chamber, and a hand operated maker and breaker for the lainp circuit on said cover.

2 In apparatus for placing a distinguishing mark on photographic films or plates, the combination, with a box, a portion of the top of the box being permeable to light, of depressible covering means arranged over said portion, an electric lamp in the box, and a depressible maker and breaker for the lamp circuit on the cover-whereby the covering means may be pressed down and the maker and breaker actuated to light the lamp by a single movement.

3. In apparatus for placing a distinguishing mark on photographic films or plates, the combination with a box having an aperture in the top, of a glass plate covering said aperture, :1 cover mounted on sprin above said glass plate. a lamp within sa1d box, and a maker and breaker for the lamp circuit on said cover.

4. In apparatus for placing a distinguishing mark on photographic lms or plates, the combination with a box having an aperture in the top, a glass plate covering said aperture, a cover mounted on springs above said glass plate, a lamp within said box, a maker and breaker for the lamp circuit on said cover, and a spring clip on the top of the box adapted to hold a stencil in position over the glass plate.

5. In photograph marking apparatus, the combination with a box formed with an opening in the top, of a glass plate set into said opening, a cover above said glass plate, a light producing element within said box, and a hand operated device on said cover adapted to control said light producing element.

6. A device for transferring a number to an undeveloped sensitive film or plate, comprising a source of light, a stationary wall adapted to support a number-bearing member with the said film or plate superposed and resting thereupon, said wall forming a fixed light-proof screen protecting the main body of said film or plate from exposure to said source of light, and having an opening to register with the number.

7. A device for transferring a number to an undeveloped sensitive film or plate, comprising a source of light, a stationary wall adapted to support a number-bearing member with the said film or plate superposed and resting thereupon, said wall forming a fixed light-proof screen protecting the main body of said film or plate from said source of light, and a translucent plate in said wall to register with the number.

8. A device adapted to receive a numberbearing envelop for transferring the number to an undeveloped sensitive film or plate, comprising a source of light, a member having means for exposing a portion only of the area of the film or plate to said source of light to transfer the number, and simultaneously screening the main portion or remainder of said film or plate from said source of light.

9. A device for transferring a number to an undeveloped sensitive film or plate comprising a horizontal shelf forming a support for a number-bearing member and for the said film or plate superposed thereupon,

Inc

said shelf having an opening therein adapted to register with the number, a source of light adapted to affect the film or plate through said opening, said opening being of small area whereby the body of the said sensitive film or plate is unaffected by said source of light.

10. Means for marking an undeveloped sensitive photographic film or plate comprising a source of light, a stationary support for the undeveloped sensitive film constituting a screen to protect the body of said film from all light and having a restricted exposing opening and adapted to cooperate with a. translucent number-bearing member when the same is held directly against said support and with the number thereon registerin with said opening.

11. A s elf adapted to support a numberbearing member and having an exposing window therein, means for guiding a numher-bearing member to lace the number in register with said win ow, the said sheli forming a screen screenin all light from an undeveloped sensitive fil n held over said number-bearing member excepting the part thereof opposite said window.

12. An opaque shelf constitutin a stationary support for the main bo y of a sensitive film and having an exposing win dow therein, a source of light arranged to throw its rays through said window, and means for supporting and guiding a numher-bearing member to faci itate the positioning with the number thereof opposite 3 said window.

OSCAR CHOUINARD. Witnesses P. H. TRUMAN, H. L. PECK. 

